we're just now learning that president obama spoke to house speaker john boehner by phone this afternoon. but we're not hearing of any progress on avoiding the fiscal cliff or on raising the nation's debt ceiling which is currently at $16.4 trillion. there are new concerns about what could happen to the country's credit rating in the new year. each day toward the fiscal cliff is also another day closer to the country maxing out on its borrowing limit. president obama talked to business leaders today. >> the only thing that the debt ceiling is good for as a weapon is to destroy your credit rating. >> reporter: he's worried republicans may re newsto raise the country's debt ceiling to get their way on spending cuts and risk defaulting on the country's loans. >> that is a bad strategy for america. it's a bad strategy for your businesses. and it is not a game that i will play. >> reporter: republicans are pushing back. >> he's the president, not the emperorer. >> reporter: fiscal cliff negotiations have been at a stand still since monday when republicans proposed raising revenue by closing t